HandymanWire - Breaker Questions and Answers

Installing Circuit Breaker

I am currently trying to install a Zinsco 20 Amp single pole circuit breaker into my main box at my house. My questions is how exactly do I do that? When I open the box there are a series of circuit breakers with two metal bars laying horizontally behind them. I know I need to somehow attach the circuit breaker to the two bars, but it seems a red bar at the top portion of the box prevents from the circuit breaker to be completely installed.

Not every brand of circuit breaker will fit into every brand of breaker box. You have to get the correct breaker that will fit into your breaker box. The best way to do this is to look at the current breakers in your breaker box and go buy a 20 Amp single pole breaker that is the same brand.

Installing New Breaker in Service Panel?

I've got a circuit in my house, which I think is overloaded. I'm thinking of dividing it into two parts. If I do, I'll have to install a new breaker in my service panel. I've done some wiring before, but I've never been into the service panel. I've read every bit of "how to" info I can find, and I comprehend it all. Is it safe now to go ahead and try this? Or do I need formal training for this task?!??!?!!?

You can do all the wiring with the exception of tying it into the box. The dangerous thing about wiring in your box, is even with the main breaker turned off, (which will make the main bus bars dead) there is still live power coming into the box to the main breaker.

Are you intimate with NEC, National Electric Code? Wiring seems simple, but the details can kill you, especially in the breaker box. Call an electrician, talk to him about the job, then watch him. That way you get the job done and get a lesson.

You don't need "formal" training to do the job, but having an electrician do it with you watching is excellent training.

Adding a Second Breaker Box

I need some help regarding , adding a second breaker box to the current one. I have many woodworking tools that use 220 and my box is plum full. Any help at all would be ok.

You can take one of a few paths. You can upgrade your service.. if you go to 200 amp service, for instance, you 100 amp box gets replaced with a much bigger one.. with LOTS of room to grow. This would be the best.. and not necessarily the most expensive option. The power company will bring in ...

HandymanWire - Upgrading Residential Electrical Service

is a question homeowners ask frequently. An upgrade of an electrical service typically involves an older residence with service size of 100 amps or less and the homeowner is deciding whether to increase the amperage to 200. Depending on what part of the country the residence is the cost of the job could be as high as $2000 which makes the homeowner question the need for such an investment. The following questions should be answered before deciding whether or not to upgrade the service.

Does my electrical service have fuses or circuit breakers?

It wasn't until the 1960's that circuit breakers became the standard for electrical service panels - before that all electrical panels contained screw and cartridge type fuses.

The way an electrical panel is made is the same regardless whether the panel uses fuses or circuit breakers. Fuses have taken a bad rap only because of the ease in which a fuse of one size can be replaced with a larger fuse. For example if a 15 amp fuse blows frequently a 20 amp fuse can be used to eliminate the nuisance of having to change the fuse so often. When a 20 amp fuse is inserted where a 15 amp was the current carrying capacity of the circuit is increased by 33% without any regard to the wire size. Remember that the fuse is rated according to the wire size - that is worth repeating a little louder - THE FUSE IS RATED ACCORDING TO THE WIRE SIZE. Because is it so easy to insert a 20 or even 30 amp fuse in to a 15 amp circuit, fuse panels have become an electrical hazard.

When a house is inspected for resale many insurance companies require a fuse panel to be replaced by a circuit breaker panel before the sale is complete. If the current service contains fuses it is probably worth the investment to upgrade the service from fuses to circuit breakers.

Upgrading the service to circuit breakers does not mean the amperage has to be increased. It is OK to change out a 100 amp fuse panel with a 100 amp circuit breaker panel. Just because the service is changing to circuit breakers does not mean the amperage coming in to the house must be increased to 200 amps.

This leads to the next question.

What size amperage is the existing service?

An electrical service is measured in amps with the standards being 100, 150 and 200 for a typical home. Amperage is like the size of the water pipe that feeds a residence - the bigger the pipe the more water that can be delivered. Don't confuse service voltage with service amperage - service voltage comes in one variety 220/240, more on that later. If the home has a 100 amp service and there are no plans to add more electrical stuff (an addition, hot water heater, air conditioning, electrical heater and etc.) then why increase the size of the service. Unless you just want to keep up with Tim the tool man that lives next door who had his service increased to 200 amps - the present 100 amps that supplies the family with all the electrical comforts they need ...